Choi Mi-sun

2.1. Birth and Family

Choi Mi-sun was born on July 1, 1996, in Jojang-ri, Illo-eup, Muan County, South Korea. She is the youngest of four children, having three older brothers, born to her parents, Choi Bo-nyeong and Oh Young-ae.

2.2. Education

Choi Mi-sun's educational background is closely tied to her athletic development. She attended and graduated from Illo Elementary School, followed by Jeonnam Sports Middle School and Jeonnam Sports High School, institutions known for cultivating athletic talent. She later pursued higher education at Gwangju Women's University, where she specialized in Primary Special Education within the archery department.

2.3. Introduction to Archery

Choi Mi-sun was first introduced to archery at the age of 11, during her fourth year of primary school. Described as a calm individual with exceptional concentration, she quickly developed her skills with the bowstring, aspiring to become a world-class archer. Her dedication and talent were recognized early in her career, leading to her selection for the national team for the first time in 2013.

3.1. 2015: International Debut and Early Success

Choi Mi-sun made her international debut in May 2015 at the opening stage of the 2015 Archery World Cup held in Shanghai. She finished her first competition impressively, securing a third-place finish in the women's individual event. Her success continued at the World Cup's second leg in Antalya later that month, where she secured two stage wins. In the women's individual tournament, she defeated her compatriots Chang Hye-jin and the highly favored 2012 double Olympic gold medalist Ki Bo-bae in the semi-finals and final, respectively. She then partnered with Kim Woojin to win the mixed team event.

Her next major international appearance was at the 2015 Summer Universiade in July. Competing for the South Korean team alongside Ki Bo-bae, she advanced to her second final of the year in the women's individual event. The match against Ki Bo-bae was highly anticipated, characterized by the Korean media as a battle between the present and future stars of Korean archery. Ki Bo-bae ultimately won in a memorable duel, outscoring Choi Mi-sun ten points to nine in a one-arrow shoot-off after a closely contested match.

Later in 2015, Choi Mi-sun continued her successful run, earning medals at the 2015 World Archery Championships in Copenhagen, where she secured a bronze medal in both the individual and team events. She also won an individual gold medal at the season-ending 2015 Archery World Cup finals held in Mexico City, further solidifying her position as a rising star.

3.2. 2016 Rio Olympics: Gold Medal and Individual Event

In the spring of 2016, Choi Mi-sun was selected for her first Olympic Games, joining Chang Hye-jin and defending Olympic champion Ki Bo-bae as part of the South Korean women's team. The team aimed to defend their women's individual and women's team titles at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Leading up to the Games, Choi was identified as one of the favorites for the women's individual gold medal, with American broadcaster NBC describing her as Ki Bo-bae's "biggest roadblock" to retaining her Olympic title. Her medal prospects were further bolstered in June when she matched Ki Bo-bae's world record score of 686 points for a 72-arrow round at the third stage of the 2016 Archery World Cup.

At the Rio Olympics in August, Choi Mi-sun earned her first Olympic medal in the women's team event. The Korean trio comfortably defeated Russia in the gold medal final by five set points to one, despite challenging conditions. This victory marked South Korea's eighth consecutive women's team Olympic title.

However, Choi Mi-sun's performance in the women's individual event was more varied. She started strong in the 72-arrow ranking round, initially on pace to surpass the twenty-year-old Olympic record of 673 set by Lina Herasymenko. Her progress was affected by breezy conditions midway through the round, but she still secured the top seed for the elimination stages, ranking first with 669 points out of a maximum of 720. This score placed her three points ahead of Chang Hye-jin and six points ahead of Ki Bo-bae. Despite her strong ranking, she was unexpectedly eliminated in the quarter-finals by Alejandra Valencia, a double gold medalist from the 2011 Pan American Games. A subpar performance, including a score of five on her first arrow, led to Choi losing in straight sets.

3.3. 2017: World Record and World Championship Win

In 2017, Choi Mi-sun continued to demonstrate her prowess in archery. At the 2017 Summer Universiade in Taipei City, she broke the world record score for a 72-arrow round by achieving 687 points, surpassing the previous record held by Ki Bo-bae from the 2015 Summer Universiade by one point. Reflecting on this achievement, Choi noted that despite fatigue from earlier World Cup appearances, favorable weather conditions contributed to her excellent shooting.

The 2017 World Archery Championships in Mexico City proved to be another significant event for Choi Mi-sun, where she earned her first World Championship gold medal. Partnering with Chang Hye-jin and Kang Chae-young, she led the South Korean team to victory against host nation Mexico in the women's team final. Despite a slow start, the trio secured South Korea's thirteenth World Championship women's team title. In the women's individual event, Choi placed fourth in the ranking round with 671 points, joining her teammates at the top of the standings. However, she was eliminated in the final sixteen by Ksenia Perova of Russia.

In October 2017, Choi Mi-sun was one of nine athletes recognized for their outstanding sporting excellence at the 55th Korea Sports Awards, where she received a national award.

3.4. 2018-2019: Absence and Return

Choi Mi-sun was not selected for Korea's international team in 2018, marking a period of absence from international competitions. However, she made a return to the national team for the 2019 season, being named alongside Chang Hye-jin and Kang Chae-young to compete. At the 2019 World Archery Championships in 's-Hertogenbosch, she secured a silver medal in the team event and a bronze medal in the individual event.

3.5. 2020-present: Major Career Highlights

Since 2020, Choi Mi-sun has continued to achieve significant results in major international archery competitions.

• At the 2021 Summer World University Games in Chengdu, she demonstrated strong individual performance, winning a gold medal in the individual event and a silver medal in the team event.
• In the 2022 Archery World Cup Final in Tlaxcala, she earned a silver medal in the individual event.
• She contributed to the women's team's success at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, securing a gold medal.
• At the 2023 Asian Archery Championships in Bangkok, Choi Mi-sun had a remarkable performance, winning gold medals in both the individual and team events.

3.6. Major Records and Awards

Choi Mi-sun holds notable records and has received prestigious awards throughout her career.

• World Records:
  • In June 2016, she matched Ki Bo-bae's world record score of 686 points for a 72-arrow round.
  • In August 2017, she broke the world record for a 72-arrow round, scoring 687 points, surpassing Ki Bo-bae's previous record by one point.
• Awards:
  • In October 2017, she was honored with a national award for sporting excellence at the 55th Korea Sports Awards, recognizing her outstanding achievements in sports.